Where Loyalties Lie
by SilverZelenia
Summary: Lyra Narcissa Malfoy - to the outside observer, the perfect little mudblood-hating, pureblood princess she's supposed to be. But when she's issued a task that involves the despised Weasley family - and the twins, no less, little seedlings of doubt are sewn inside of Lyra. Are they really as bad as she's been raised to believe? AU, slightly; starts in Order of the Phoenix.
1. Prologue

**Where Loyalties Lie**

**Prologue**

_"Family problems come in all shapes and sizes; some are short-lived and easily managed, while others are more chronic and difficult to handle." _- Unknown

* * *

"I shall expect to hear you're getting good marks," a woman with a rather haughty look about her was saying. The blonde-haired girl standing before her nodded earnestly.

"Choose your allies wisely, Lyra." Lucius fixed steely gray eyes on his daughter, studying her expectantly.

Not friends. _Allies_.

"Yes, Father." Her voice was quiet and timid, almost like she'd forced the response out reluctantly.

"Mind Professor Snape, now," Narcissa added.

"Go on, or you won't be able to find a compartment without that blood traitor Weasley's brats inside of it."

That was it - no hug, no 'be sure to write', no tearful goodbyes. But then, that was always how it was at Malfoy Manor. As long as she behaved, they exchanged nothing more than polite greetings of 'yes, Father's and 'yes, Mother's. If she misbehaved - something both children were quick to learn not to do - well, that was a different story.

Lyra struggled to pull her trunk across the cobblestones to the train, banging her foot in the process and looking quite undignified. She had just managed to haul it up the first step into the train when a shrill cry reached her ears.

"Lyra! Lyra!" It was a small, nine year old blonde boy with features already sharp, even as a child - her one and only little brother.

"Draco, what are you doing?" She hissed. When she left, he'd been sulking half-way hidden behind their mother's leg. He'd been surly and rather bratty ever since she'd gotten her Hogwarts letter. Well... Brattier than _usual,_ anyway.

"I-I just wanted to say bye," He muttered, ears tinged red as he kicked the stone floor. Looking back, she saw her father, eyes blazing with annoyance in the direction Draco had run towards. Narcissa was murmuring something to him, and Lucius crossed his arms over his chest, watching his two children with an extremely impatient look on his face.

Lyra crouched down so she was at her brother's height and ruffled his hair affectionately. Draco made a small noise of protest, but threw himself at her in a hug, anyway.

"Don't give father a reason to punish you, alright?" She said sternly, eying him until he nodded.

"Will you promise to write?"

"Of course."

"Pinky promise?"

Lyra's lips twitched. Draco seemed, for some reason, to always ask for _pinky _promises from his older sister - they were much more special, naturally. He never asked anyone else after he learned it 'wasn't proper'. The siblings still held the tradition, just between the two of them, though.

"Be good, squirt," She ruffled his hair again, then hopped up onto the train.

"Don't call me that!"

"Sure, squirt," Draco made a face at her, then took off in a swirl of black and green robes, racing back towards their parents.

* * *

The first years were now assembled in an anxious crowd, waiting their turn to get into the boats that would take them across the lake. Finally, it was her turn, and she had one leg stretched out to step into the wobbly boat when a body came crashing into her own. With a great splash, Lyra went underwater and came up sitting in lake mud next to a red-haired boy. There was another boy, one that looked exactly like the one next to her, laughing loudly on the bank.

"Watch where you're going, _idiot_!" She screamed, spitting out a clod of mud. The boy on the bank stopped laughing and gave her an odd look, while the rest of their class stared at the scene with wide eyes.

"We were just playing around, jeez -"

"-don't get your knickers in a twist!" The one next to her in the lake finished the sentence as he stood back up. Lyra was just about to snap something in response when the enormous man rounding the first years up arrived at their feet.

"Yeh alrigh'?" A huge hand came down and picked her up by the collar, setting her safely inside her boat with such force it felt like the vessel would sink.

"Fine!" She spat, glaring mutinously as the twins and another boy, one with dreadlocks, climbed into the boat. The rest of the ride, Lyra huddled in her corner as far away from them as she could get, shivering in her drenched robes.

And thus began the long enmity between Lyra Malfoy, and the Weasley twins.

* * *

**Yes, I have other stories in progress already, and I've posted a new one. I had an idea, so here's the prologue - the next chapter is already started, and this will be updated when I'm inspired to write for it. Yes, this is an AU/Draco-has-a-sister story. But they're not twins, so rejoice! ;) Tell me what you think - reviews loved, critique welcome, flames will be used to toast s'mores for the reviewers and I! **

**EDITED 3/24/13 - Revised slightly to fix a few errors - thanks to my reviewers, and especially to Captain Boo Bear for pointing out a few things I'd missed!**


	2. A Mishap On The Train

**Where Loyalties Lie**

**Chapter 1 - A Mishap On The Train**

_**6 years later, start of Weasley Twins & Lyra's Seventh year, set during Order of the Phoenix - Hogwarts Express**_

* * *

Lyra Narcissa Malfoy was a good liar; a superb one, in fact. That was a good thing, considering the life she'd been born into. One where she was to lie through her teeth when the manor was raided and searched by certain persistent ministry officials, to smile pretty and act chummy with figures of high social standings, and now... Now, a new lie - a much, much bigger one.

Her throbbing forehead rested against the cold glass window; feet tucked under her seat on board the scarlet train taking young witches and wizards back to Hogwarts for another year of magical learning. Draco was sitting on the seat next to her - or rather, he was sprawled across the seat with his head in Pansy Parkinson's lap, with Crabbe and Goyle seated across from him. Lyra was quite certain if she had to listen to another minute of Goyle sniggering like a fool at something entirely not funny, or Parkinson flirting relentlessly with her brother, she'd crack and hex them all, Draco included.

Draco - still the same bratty little brother he'd always been, but there was a difference between them now. There hadn't been a pinky promise made between them since that final one at the train station her first year. That was when they'd grown apart. They still represented the perfect pureblood family, of course, but things were cold, now. Before, there had been a quiet sort of bond between them. Now, they were formal and stiff in their interactions, with no real affection involved in it. That resilient warmth they'd had as kids had shriveled up, leaving them as the cold, cunning Slytherins they were now. Or, as they were usually called by Gryffindors and others who disliked them - the git and the bitch... Among other things.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, would you please just _shut up_!" Lyra snapped. Parkinson recoiled, the simpering smile that had been on her face as she spoke to Draco fading. Every head in the compartment was turned Lyra's way, staring at her.

"I'm sorry, Pansy, I just have the most _horrid_ headache.. I think I'll go get some air for a bit, maybe hex a few mudbloods to vent," She gave a sickly sweet smile as she left, receiving yet another nauseating smile from Parkinson. In all honesty, she wasn't planning on cursing anyone, but the lewd stares she received as she passed her brother's cronies almost changed that fact.

Further down the corridor, raised voices caught her attention, and her feet sped up of their own accord. Seconds later, she was knocked back against the wall as the bulky frame of Graham Montague raced past and down the corridor - well, as fast as he could go, anyway. She stepped away from the wall, looking at his retreating form. She curiously poked her head inside the compartment he'd left, and her eyes had just enough time to register the wand in her face and someone muttering something before her body seized up.

The next moment, Lyra was falling, stiff as a board, into the compartment. She landed face-first, with an excruciating jolt of pain going through her face; she was positive her nose was broken. Laughter rang out in the compartment, lasting for several minutes. By the time it finally quieted, Lyra was quite ready to scream with frustration - if only she could move.

An unknown person finally decided to release her, she heard them say something under their breath, and then the invisible binds holding her released. She sat up immediately, hands flying to her nose. Blood was smeared down her face, now on her hands as well, and it was down the front of her jumper - she was still in her muggle clothing, not having changed from passing through the train station yet. There was a small crimson pool on the floor where she'd been laying.

She didn't bother to look at her attackers, but instead lunged for the wand laying underneath a seat, which she recognized as her own yew-and-dragon-heartstring wand. Having the familiar feeling of the wand in her hand brought a comforting feeling to her as she sat back and glared at the three forms standing before her.

Lyra knew them, alright - Fred & George Weasley, pranksters extraordinaire, and their sidekick Lee Jordan. The laughter had died off of their faces, they were all watching her warily, and one of the twins was was still holding the wand that had cursed her.

"Episkey," She muttered, flinching as her nose popped back into place.

She then stood up slowly, siphoning the blood off of her blouse with her wand as she did so.

"So," She started lightly, but her voice grew harsh after the first word. "What the _bloody hell_ did I do to you?"

"Well, we thought you were Montague, back for another round - " Started the twin with the wand.

" - but if you'd really like to know why it - "

" - doesn't bother us to have gotten you instead - "

"- one, you're a Malfoy - "

" - two, you're a Slytherin - "

" - three, you're a pureblooded bigot - "

" - shall we go on?"

Lyra rolled her eyes, but for the sake of the mission issued to her - which she'd yet to scheme up a plan for, didn't retaliate.

"What did that fool Montague do, this time?" She asked, hands on her hips. The twins still had smirks on their faces, but their friend latched onto what she'd said.

"You don't like Montague?" Jordan sounded skeptical.

"The imbecile is as unintelligent as a troll, who would?"

All three Gryffindor boys sniggered, even Lyra allowed herself a small smile. In fact, she didn't like Montague, or many of her fellow Slytherins, but it wouldn't be good if that got out. She turned towards the door, but paused on the way out.

"You'd better clean that up," She said, waving her hand at the spot of red on the floor.

Then she was out in the corridor once more, heading off down the train.

* * *

**Bleh - kind of a filler chapter. But, the twins have made an appearance, so rejoice! Lol. Annnnd, maybe Lyra's starting to get a plan together for that mysterious task, which you people don't know yet. I'm evil that way - not telling you in this chapter. So, I just realized this is vaguely similar of the Draco-Harry interaction on the train in HBP. X_X I didn't even think of that at all until reading back through this before posting... Ah, well. _ Anyway - reviews loved - thanks to those that reviewed the prologue, critiques are welcome, and flames will be used to chase their authors out! ;D  
**

****EDITED same day as posting, to add in the note about '6 years later', which I forgot to mention originally. This chapter takes place at the start of 6th year.****


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